The Jokes on Joker
by DCman
Summary: When The Joker and Harley break out again and hijack a van, what will happen. Plus Nightwing is going to drop a bombshell. Based on "The killing Joke" comic book. Please R & R
1. The Suprise

The Jokes on Joker

It was another day in Gotham City. The Joker and Harley Quinn were free from Arkham Asylum and were wreaking havoc. They had hijacked a high security van heading for the bank, leaving its previous occupants with wide permanent grins on their faces. With The Joker behind the wheel and Batman trailing them in the Batmobile, it was not a safe road to be on.

Batman flicked a switch on his dashboard and a Baterang shot from his headlights into the van's back tires. Batman slammed on the breaks and the van stopped abruptly, sending The Joker through the windshield. Joker landed on the pavement, face all scraped up. Harley ran out of the van shouting "Puddin'!"

Batman got out of his vehicle with two pairs of handcuffs. Harley gives herself up, but The Joker isn't as easy. The Joker jumps up and runs down an alleyway just across the street. Batman tells Harley to stay and chases after the Joker. Over garbage cans and through puddles runs Joker with The Bat right behind him. Joker stops as a man lands in front of him. Joker started to back up into Batman. Batman punched Joker in the face and the other man tripped him. Batman took out the spare handcuffs and handcuffed Joker.

"Long time, no see Bat" The other man said as they brought Joker back to the street.

"Save the pleasantries for later Nightwing." Batman said with a smile.

When they reached the street, Batman was shocked to see no Harley, no Batmobile and the van had been emptied.

"So Batman, where did you park?" asked Nightwing as Joker started to laugh.

"Harley" was all Batman said as the Joker's laughter grew louder and louder.

"I take it Miss. Quinn is joyriding?" Nightwing asked. Nightwing, unable to control himself anymore, punched Joker in the face, ceasing his laughter.

"I guess so, can you track her down with your Bike and I'll keep an eye on the clown.

"Sure." Nightwing ran down the alley to his bike. Nightwing had a locator on the Batmobile for such an occasion or if he ever needed to talk to Bruce, or Batman. Nightwing noticed Harley's driving patterns were off the charts. It was like Harley didn't know what to do without Joker's help. Although it was widely thought that Harley was naïve and slow, both Bruce and Dick knew not to underestimate her, seeing that at one point she was a renounced physiatrist.

After two left, a right and another left turn, Nightwing found the Batmobile a banded without a dollar in sight. Rather than guess to where Harley was, Dick hopped in the Batmobile, set his bike to "follow" and drove back to Batman.

When Nightwing pulled up in front of Batman, he noticed The Joker was awake again and still found the situation amusing. Nightwing jumped out and approached Batman.

"Where's Harley?" asked Batman.

"No idea, she a banded the ride and went out on foot. I figured without The Joker to help her, she's screw up sooner or later and you could apprehend her." Nightwing said casually.

"Yeah, the police should be here any second with the padded van to take Joker back to Arkham."

It was an hour and a half later and Bruce and Dick were sitting in Wayne Manor, drinking some tea Alfred had just made.

"So, what brings you to Gotham Dick, have anything you need to ask, or is this a social visit?" asked Bruce, taking a sip of tea.

"Well Bruce, I wish I could call this a social visit, but alas it's not. In Bludhaven, I had a rather strange occurrence. There was a series of petty crimes which I though were being committed by a local gang I've run into a few times. But to my surprise, it was a girl, no older than 18, stealing food and such."

"Is there a point to this story?" asked Bruce, feeling this case was fairly easy.

"Yeah, I was getting to that. I brought her into the police and asked her for her name. She refused at first, but I eventually got her to tell me. Her name was Laura Napier…


	2. The Visit

Bruce spat tea across the room in disbelief.

"What? Are you sure?" asked Bruce, looking shocked.

"Yeah, she claims her mother dies while she was pregnant, but the doctors were able to give life into her. She was raised in an orphanage until the age of sixteen, and then released. She said she never met her father or any member of her family. I wanted to know if you knew anything like this at all." Dick finished.

Without answering, Bruce got up and headed for the Batcave with Dick right behind him. When the reached the Batcave, Bruce sat on his computer and typed away. He found a newspaper clipping from the day after The Red Hood escaped the Big Bat Batman at the chemical factory. The headline read "Miraculous birth though mother wasn't saved." Bruce continued to read the article and his mouth slowly opened as he read. He then searched for the name "Jack Napier" and came up with a profile on Joker.

"So, is it possible?" asked Dick.

"Where is she?" asked Bruce turning to Dick."

"She's in a holding cell in Bludhaven until the trail, why?"

"I think Batman would like a word with her."

Batman and Nightwing were in Bludhaven the next night at the Bludhaven Police Department. The police force wasn't the most reliable, but they were improved from what they were when Nightwing first arrived. Before too long, Batman was standing outside a conference room were Laura was sitting inside. Batman walked in alone and shut the door. Laura appeared terrified of Batman with just cause. She was an attractive looking girl, blonde, blue eyes and a curvy body. But right now, she looked like she'd rather be in Arkham than in the same room as Batman.

Batman sat down opposite her and looked at her for a few minutes. There was an awkward silence until Batman spoke.

"State your name."

"L..L…Laura Napier." Her voiced quivered as she spoke.

"Where were you born?" Batman asked, keeping a straight face.

"In the Gotham City Hospital sir, then I grew up in the Bludhaven Orphanage."

"Do you know why you didn't live in Gotham city?"

"Um…no, I was much too young at that time, and it was never explained to me."

Batman looked at her for a few minutes more, then he spoke again.

"It's because of your father." Batman said.

"My…my father is he here?" asked Laura, sitting straight up.

"No, your father is not here, he is Gotham city behind bars." Batman said.

"I don't understand, is my father a criminal?"

"You could say that, your father is known to most as The Joker. He's a homicidal maniac dressed as a clown and uses the toxins that mutated him on others, for humor." Batman said, remaining straight-faced.

A tear rolled down Laura's face as her lower lip quivered.

"This is some sort of joke, isn't it? You think just because I'm not like you, you can come in here and try and scare me, scare me straight. This is what this is, isn't it, your trying to scare me straight!" Laura stood up while saying this.

"Sit down!" Batman said, a little louder than he intended. Nevertheless, Laura sat right back down and said nothing.

"To answer your question, no, this isn't a joke, this is the sad truth. Jack Napier, or The Joker, was a normal man at one point. He was married to your mother and she was pregnant. Jack was trying to become a comedian, but he couldn't hold down a job. He needed money and resorted to crime. He portrayed himself as The Red Hood, a thief with multiple personalities, depending on who was available. As it would happen, I thwarted the crime, but I didn't apprehend Jack, he avoided being held captive by jumping into what he thought to be a lake. But it was a chemical waste area. The chemicals bleached his skin and died his hair. This happened on the day of your mother's death, and the day of your birth. It was a miracle that Jack survived the jump, as it was a miracle that you were born. Now I've talked to the warden and you are being released into my custody. I'm going to bring you back to Gotham City for some DNA tests to be certain, then we will talk some more.." Upon finishing, Batman stood up and walked to the door. He looked back to see Laura crying in her hands.


End file.
